Iran is famous for its rice, grown mainly in the north of Iran, and for its delicious pistachios, which easily outperform Californian pistachios. It is also famous for its saffron, the best in the world, and for its rose water, a specialty of the city of Kashan.
Saffron cultivation is concentrated in Khorasan, in the east of the country, around the town of Qa’en. Used extensively in cooking (saffron rice, stew, saffron tea), powerful coloring, saffron also has several medicinal properties. It is believed to have the virtue of making people happy, and its color naturally evokes solar symbolism.
Saffron cultivation in Khorasan. Photograph: © Safa.daneshvar (Wikimedia).
